It’s Christmas Eve in Ennis, Alaska, and things are worse than ever. On the seventh consecutive day of darkness, the lack of sunlight is starting to get to everyone. Ennis’ reputation for being a place where the dead keep their presence known long after they’re gone is well-founded, considering that almost everyone is up to their eyeballs in grief and despair. But perhaps the worst part of this consuming feeling is that the entire cast of True Detective: Night Country seems to have too much pride to ask for help.
With Episode 4 of the anthology’s fourth season, we’ve officially crossed the halfway point in this six-episode season. Mysteries are beginning to unravel themselves, leaving more details to be snatched up by us curious viewers who, frankly speaking, have spent much of this season in the dark. (And you thought Ennis was bad! Thank you folks, I’ll be here for two more episodes—tip your waiters.) The larger puzzle at play is still murky, but there are plenty of leads, some more gripping than others. But what remains crystal clear—as clear as the ice in the cave where Annie Kowtok (Nivi Pederson) recorded her last words—is that Jodie Foster and Kali Reis continue to hold this season together, even at its lowest moments. And there aren’t many of those in this episode, where Reis gives her most layered, affecting performance yet. It’s star-making stuff, and reason enough to stick with Night Country , even if our answers are still out of reach.